Lever operated rotary bar fastener



29 @ATM LEVER OPERATED ROTARY BAR FASTENER Filed Jan. 1.1, 1.947

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2 Sheensheet l May 2 1950 G. E. DA1-H 2,505,945

LEVER OPERATED ROTARY BAR FASTENER Filed Jan. 1l, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 2, 195.0

UNITED STATES George LE. Dath, Mokena, Ill., assigno'r `to Miner,n`c., Chicago, Ill., ascorporation-ofela- WHITE Applictionailuary 11, 1947, Serial No.4 721,600

(Cle 'i4-e523) 4 Claims.

.l1 jT-his `invention relates to improvements in lever operated rotary bar fasteners for doors, and more particularly to fasteners of' this -type employedinconnection with hinged doors.

Onelobject'of the invention is to provide-a lever-operated rotary bar fastener for a door of the hinged type, which is `housed within the structure of thedoor to conceal the same and is particularly designed to provide for quick and easy application to the door.

A furtherobject of the invention is to provide in a door fastenerlof the lever operatedrotary bar type, simple Vand reliable means for securing the operating handle lever to the rotary bar `of the fastener.

Amore specic object of the invention is to "provide a fastener of `thecharacter indicated in the preceding paragraph, wherein the operating lever is Welded to the rotary bar insuch a manner as to reduce torsional strains on the welded joint, thereby reducing the danger of breakage atsaid joint.

Other objects of the invention-will more 4clearly appear from the description and claimshereinafter following.

In the accompanying ldrawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a broken rear elevational View of the body portion of` Lan-automobile truck provided with hinged doors, illustrating my `improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a detailed view, on an enlarged scale, similar toFigure l, ofthe left hand end of the right hand-door at the mid portion thereof. Figure 3 isa horizontal sectional view, corresponding substantially to theline 3--3 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a vertical sectional View, through the left handend portion of the right hand door shown in Figure 1, said view being taken on the line 4--4 of'Figure 3. Figures 5 and 6 are plan views of the upper keeper andthe cooperating keeper `engaging member of my improved door fastener, as illustrated in Figure 1, Figure 5 showing the keeper engaging member partly-engaged with the keeper and Figure 6 showing the same completely engaged and in door locking position. Figure is an elevational view, on an enlarged scale, oi the portion ofthe operating -bar to which the handle lever is attached, showing said bar before the lever is applied thereto. Figure -8 is a horizontal `sectionalview, `corresponcling' substantially to'the line 8-3 of Figure '7. "Figure-A9 is a-horizontal sectional view ofthe rotary bar'andoperating lever, on an enlarged scale and partly broken away, corresponding substantially tothe line VSI-#ll-of Figure2. Figure 10 edge portion thereof,

the finger extends radially.

`2 is a view, similar to Figure 9, showing-another 4embodimentwof the connecting `-rneans 'for the bar and operating lever.

In said drawings, Ill indicates the rear end `wall of the body'ofvan automobile truck. "The wall I0 is provided with the usual openingri I, closed.l by a pair -of-swingingdcers I2 and I3,1supportedalong their outer -eclges by the usual hinges V-I4IlI. The doors I2 and I3 are of a well-knowntype employed on automobile trucks. The door i2,as shown, comprises spaced `irontand rearwalls I5 and I madeof sheet metal,` connectedbytop and bottom Z-bars I'I-I'I `which formlthetop and bottom Walls yofthe door. `At the inner and outer edges, thefront` and rear `walls i5 and I 6 of the door AIZ- are connected by the usualvertical end walls, the `wall-at the-inner edge "only being shown. This Wallis indicatedfby I8.

Thecconstruction of the door I3 is similar to that of the door I2 and the meeting edgesfoi'- the two doors are -beveled so that the door I2-roverlaps the Adoor I3 when the doors `are fully closed. My improved door fastener is carried on the door I2, and the `front wall I5'of said door -iswprovided `with jan inwardly offsetA section "libetweenthe top and bottom of the doora'd-jacent the :inner forming la laterally elongated pocket im, adapted to receivethe operating handle lever oi my improved'door fastener,

as Ahereinafter pointed out.

Referring rst to-the embodiment of 'thein- 4vention illustrated in Figures l to Q-inclusiva` .my

improved door fastener, -asshowm `coIn-icirises broadly anoperating bar A, keeper engagingend members B-B at opposite ends of the bar', an operating handle-lever C ixed to thefbar,-and keepers D-D with 4which the end members B-B are engageable.

`The operating bar'A is in the `form ofan elongated tube of circular cross section, housed-Within thefdoor I2, being arranged `vertically between the iront` and rear walls and extending through aligned bearing openings-22 and-'23 in the top and bottom wallsZ; and 25 of the pocket' ZIJ.

The keeper `engaging endmembers B-B 'are mounted, respectively, on the i top and bottom ends of the bar A. Each member-B comprises a keeper engagingngerlZ and a cylindrical shank or stem 2l from the outer'end portioniof which The cylindrical shank "or stem of each end mem-ber is telescoped within thef correspondingend-of `the tubular bar A and lixed thereto by being welded,``theuwall -of the tubular bar A being provided with suitable openings `28-to receive the welding-metah29. vThe keeper engaging iingers 26 are of well-known design and cooperate with the top and bottom keepers D-D in the usual manner to force the door open and closed, the keepers D-D, which are located in the walls of the door opening immediately above and below the door I2, being provided with the usual L-shaped openings or slots within which the iingers 2li-26 are engageable.

The end members B-B of the tubular operating bar A protrude beyond the top and bottom edges of the door to properly cooperate with the keepers D-D. As shown in Figure 4, the top and bottom ends of the bar A are journaled in suitable bearing openings 30-30 in the horizontal Webs of the top and bottom Z-bars and the bar is supported against downward displacement by a collar 3| fixed to the bar and resting on the bottom wall 25 of the pocket 2D. The collar 3| is preferably welded to the bar, as indicated by 32. The collar 3| is cut way or slotted at one side, as shown at I3I, for a purpose hereinafter pointed out.

.The operating lever C is secured to the bar A between the top and bottom ends thereof, being carried by that portion of the bar which extends through the pocket 2B. This handle lever is in the form of an elongated arm having a hand grip portion 33 at its outer end. Inwardly of the hand grip portion 33, the arm of the lever C is of channel-shaped cross section, comprising a lengthwise extending, vertically disposed web 34 and top and bottom, horizontally disposed flanges 35--35 projecting laterally from said web. At the inner end, the arm of the lever C is recessed, as indicated at 36, to fit the circular contour of the tubular operating bar A, said recess being dened by an arc-shaped web 31, which forms a continuation of the web 34. At the point where the handle lever C is attached to the tubular bar A, the outer wall of the bar is slit to provide a pair of wings 3S and 39 which are bent outwardly, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, to provide abutments which shoulder, respectively, against a ilat face on the inner side of the handle lever C at the inner end portion thereof, and the ilat end face 4| of the arc-shaped web 31. The lever C is welded to the tubular bar A at said abutment wing portions 38 and 3% of the latter, as indicated at 42 and 43. As will be evident, the shouldered f engagement of the lever C with the wings of the bar A serves to relieve the welded joint from torsional strains when the bar is rotated by the lever to force the door i2 open or closed.

In applying the door fastener shown in Figures l to 9 inclusive to the door l2, the end members B-B are irst welded to the ends of the tum bular bar A and the assembled unit, comprising the bar A and the end members B-B, is then placed within the door by passing the same endwise from above the door in downward direction through the opening 3|! in the horizontal web of the top Z-bar Il. In this connection it is pointed out that the horizontal Webs of the top and bottom Z-bars and the top and bottom walls of the pocket 2i] are provided with suitable slots i4-44 and 44-44 which communicate with the openings 3-3ll and 22 and 23 to provide enlargements of these openingsthrough which the iingers 25 of the end members B of the operating -bar may freely pass in applying the unit comprising the bar A and the end members B-B to the door.

Before the lower end of the bar A and its lower end member B is dropped through the opening 23 |3| thereof with the slot of said Wall 25 to thereby allow the keeper engaging finger 26 of the end member to be passed therethrough in applying the same to the door. The assembled unit, comprising the bar A and the end members B-B, is then dropped to its operative position, as shown in Figure 4, and the collar 3|, after being turned to bring the opening |3| thereof to the rear side of the bar A, as shown in Figure 4, is welded to the bar. After the parts have been thus assembled, the operating handle lever C is placed in position and welded to the wings 38 and 39 of the bar. As will be evident, in forcing the door I2 closed, the lever C is swung into the pocket 2U. To lock the same in position to maintain the door closed, the usual latch means, indicated by |40, is employed.

Referring next to the modified structure shown in Figure l0, the same comprises a rotary operating bar E, which is similar to the tubular operating bar A hereinbefore described in that it is also of tubular form, and an operating lever F, which is secured to the bar. The operating lever F is similar to the lever C hereinbefore described in that it is of channel-shaped cross section, having a vertically disposed web |34 and top and bottom :flanges |35. The inner end of the lever F is provided With a recess |35 in which the bar E is seated, the recess i353 being defined by an arcshaped web ll which forms a continuation of the web |35 and embraces slightly more than half of the circumference of the bar. The lever F is fixed to the bar by welding the same thereto at the rear side of the lever and at the extremity of the Web |31, as indicated by |38and |39.

I claim:

l. In a device of the character described, the combination with a cylindrical operating bar; of a handle lever xed to said bar, said lever having an arcuate portion partly embracing said` bar, said bar having circumferentially spaced, peripheral stop shoulders with which the opposite ends of said arcuate portion of the lever have shouldered engagement, said lever being Welded to said bar at the zones of shouldered engagement thereof. Y

Y2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a tubular operating bar of cylindrical, transverse cross section; of an operating lever xed to said bar, said lever Vhavinga recessed inner end portion in which said bar is engaged, said lever having abutment shoulders at opposite ends of the recess thereof; and oppositely facing stop wings on said bar having shouldered engagement with said abutment shoulders, said recessed portion of the lever being welded to said bar. Y

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a tubular operating bar of cy.- lindrical, transverse cross section; of an operating lever fixed to said bar, said lever having a recessed inner end portion in which said bar is engaged, said lever having abutment shoulders at opposite ends of the recess thereof; and oppositely facing stop wings on said bar having'shouldered engagement with said abutment shoulders, said recessed-portion of the levergbeing Welded to said bar at the points ofshouldered engagement of said wings with said lever. Y

V 4. In a device of the character described, the

combination With'a tubular operating bar, said bar having circumferentially spaced, oppositely facing abutment wings, said Wings being formed by outwardly bent portions of the wall of said tubular bar; of an operating lever having a seat at its inner end embracing the outer side of said bar between the ends of said wings, said inner end of the lever having flat faces at opposite ends of said seat abutting the ends of said Wings, said Wings beiner Welded to said lever at said points of abutment.

GEORGE E. DATH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number l5 307,610

Name Date Glenn Aug. 2, 1887 Maxeld Sept. 310, 1913 Seifert May 11, 1920 OConnor July 6, 1920 Pope Sept. 18, 1923 Matthaei et al. Aug. 16, 1932 Waner Sept. 15, 1933 Lee Nov. 14, 1933 Avels Feb. 11, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Mar. 14, 1929 

